The present invention relates to a signature handling apparatus in which signatures (or sheets) are sequentially transferred from one conveyor to another conveyor.
A known signature handling apparatus includes a tape (or belt) conveyor which sequentially moves signatures to a discharge station. At the discharge station, the signatures are transferred to pockets of a fan wheel. The fan wheel conveyor then conveys the signatures to a belt (or tape) type delivery conveyor.
The speed of operation of this known signature handling apparatus is limited by the ability of signatures to be transferred from the tape conveyor to the pockets of the fan wheel conveyor. This is because the signatures are formed of one or more flexible sheets of material which tend to deflect due to air resistance or turbulence and allow the signatures to open and/or move in a direction other than the desired direction as they are transferred from the tape conveyor to the fan wheel. This uncontrolled transfer of signatures through mid-air between the tape conveyor and the fan wheel limits the speed of movement of the signatures, in at least one known signature handling apparatus, to approximately 1,200 feet per minute.